More calls for better GO Transit service after local family left waiting on the tracks

After over a decade of fighting for better GO Transit service on the Kitchener Line, some local politicians are planning to make it an election issue.

A local family posted on social media last week that they were upset after hopping on the GO train to take their 10-year-old son to his first Toronto Maple Leaf’s game. In the post, Ula Guroluk said the father and son duo were left waiting on the Lakeshore West GO Line towards Toronto, causing them to miss out on most of the game.

“It speaks to how important it is that when you have inconsistent and unreliable transit in Ontario people are consistently disappointed and miss out on their job opportunity, career opportunity and in this instance a very special memory with his dad,” said MPP of Waterloo Catherine Fife in an interview with CityNews Kitchener.

Fife added it highlights the importance of reliable transportation that’s not only affordable but consistent.

“The government needs to stop leaving Kitchener-Waterloo residents at the station, it’s high time we get our fair share of transit funding to be allocated to this region.”

Fife isn’t the only local politician that has campaigned for better GO Transit services for over a decade, Colleen James, new Ontario Provincial Liberal Candidate for Kitchener Centre has actively advocated for it while on Regional Council.

James mentioned that the region is at a critical time as it looks to develop a transportation hub.

“We shouldn’t have children stuck on the train trying to get to a Leaf’s game or an entertainment concert, we’re behind the times,” said James.

“I know I’ve been advocating for it at AMO conferences, with ministers. It is vital to the sustainability and for our community to thrive as we grow.”

According to new data from Statistics Canada, the region’s population grew by 33,000 last year.

James added that regional councillors have also advocated over the years around the horseshoe for two-way, all-day GO service between Kitchener and Toronto – to keep up with the anticipated population growth.

“The fights been going on for probably 20-years to get this service here.”

James said she plans to continue to advocate for it at the provincial level.

There are multi-faceted reasons for why the GO service hasn’t been delivered yet, according to James. Reasons she’s been told include construction costs of building a new track and negotiating with partners who use the rail line.

Fife has raised the issue around Metrolinx in the Ontario legislature many times and said it’s mainly a lack of accountability. Whenever she asks the Minister of Transportation questions, she tends to get passed along to Metrolinx.

“We also did call for the removal of Phil Verster who was the president (Metrolinx) and earning an inordinate amount of money,” added Fife.

Verster stepped down as president and CEO of Metrolinx in December 2024.

In a statement to CityNews Kitchener, a spokesperson for Metrolinx said that the Kitchener Line is a priority area for them, and it has made some progress in the first phase of work.

That includes constructing a second platform at Guelph Central GO Station, completing a new storage track for maintenance vehicles west of Guelph and constructing a new 2.6 km passing track in Breslau Township to allow trains travelling in opposite directions to pass each other.

They also mentioned that last year they introduced new rail and bus options, and increased frequency of services to address increased ridership demand.

“This included new weekend GO train service between Toronto and Brampton on the Kitchener line; additional service on GO Bus Route 17 connecting Waterloo, Guelph, and Hamilton; and an extension of GO Bus Route 30 to Waterloo on weekends. We also adjust our schedules to provide special train service to meet high ridership demand for events like Taylor Swift, CNE and Pride that bring uniquely large crowds across the network.”

Metrolinx mentioned that any customer who gets stuck on a delayed GO train will be reimbursed for their trip.